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Popular reading app Instapaper is now free on iOS and Android
Thanks to a new subscription model it plans to take on, Instapaper's making its mobile applications available at no cost starting today. That said, the reading app does plan to lure in users to a premium tier it recently created, which costs $3 per month or $30 a year. If you recall, last year Instapaper was acquired by Betaworks, a company that also owns websites Bitly and Digg, so this recently adopted business scheme is part of the goal to continue growing and developing the read-it-later service. Those who choose to go the premium route will get access to features that won't be on the free version of the app, such as unlimited highlighting, text-to-speech playlists and others that haven't been announced yet. Having solid competitors like Pocket meant that Instapaper had to change its pay-for-play ways sooner or later, and this is definitely a great start.
Digg brings its Twitter news fixation to its RSS reader and iOS app
Last month, Digg tried to very subtly reinvent itself with the launch of a feature called Digg Deeper. The concept was simple enough: Deeper would surface stories based on what your Twitter pals were all talking about, so you'd have a better sense of the news of the moment. There was just one caveat, though. You see, at the time, it was only open to members of News.me (the startup the new Digg team slaved away on first). We're down with rewarding loyalty, but now Deeper is expanding in a big way -- the feature has been baked into the Digg Reader proper, and now also lives in an updated version of the Digg iOS app you can download right now. Oh, and the team's launching a new daily digest email that'll encapsulate all your Twitter friends' shared stories and blast them into your inbox (as if it wasn't cluttered enough). Digg's little social experiment seems to have paid off, but the thing to remember is that it's still just a start. After all, there's still no support for social channels beyond Twitter (like a less clickbait-y Facebook, for instance) and no word on when Google's faithful will get a chance to sift through all that new news on their Android devices.
Instapaper update for iOS lets you send media to your Kindle and TV
Instapaper's already broad device support has just grown a little bit broader. The service's updated iOS app lets you send articles to Kindle for reading on one of Amazon's devices, and you can push videos to your big-screen TV through AirPlay. Even if you're happy with catching up from your iPad or iPhone, you may also like a new option to auto-renew your Instapaper subscription. It's not the most life-changing Instapaper update we've seen. Stay tuned, though -- the developers promise that their next release will be the biggest since Betaworks acquired the app last year.
Instapaper gets new app-like web interface, fresh mobile apps to follow
When Instapaper got acquired, its new owners swore they wouldn't let it go stale. Now, we're seeing the first wave of changes roll out since the save-and-read-later tool changed hands, starting with a complete overhaul of its web interface. Instapaper's new website still remains simple -- good thing, because that's part of its charm -- but borrows design elements from its iOS and Android apps. In the next few weeks, Betaworks (the company that now owns Instapaper as well as Digg), will also unleash revamped mobile apps, improved browser extensions and a handful of new features. Whether these Instapaper updates can insta-entice people to switch from Pocket and other competitors remains to be seen, but hit the source links if you'd like to give the tool a shot.
Digg owner Betaworks acquires Instapaper
Betaworks, the company that rescued the faltering Digg, has now acquired Instapaper, says a report in TechCrunch. The news originated from an email sent by Betaworks founder and CEO John Borthwick and was confirmed by Instapaper founder Marco Arment. Arment writes on his blog, I'm happy to announce that I've sold a majority stake in Instapaper to Betaworks. We've structured the deal with Instapaper's health and longevity as the top priority, with incentives to keep it going well into the future. I will continue advising the project indefinitely, while Betaworks will take over its operations, expand its staff and develop it further. Borthwick says that Instapaper is a "perfect fit" with Digg and the company's upcoming Digg Reader. He also confirms that Betaworks plans to expand the staff working on Instapaper and develop it further. [Via TechCrunch]
Betaworks acquires Instapaper, promises continued development
If you're the sort who likes to catch up on web articles through a dedicated reader app, you're likely familiar with Instapaper and its lone creator, Marco Arment. His solo work makes for a cohesive experience and a great story, but it also involves a lot of strain -- enough so that Arment is selling majority control of the app to Betaworks, the owner of Bitly and Digg. Thankfully, this shouldn't represent a classic acquire-and-absorb deal that ultimately kills the original brand. Arment says he'll remain involved as an advisor, and the takeover is arranged with promises that Betaworks will add staff and continue building the read-it-later tool. While neither side has said just where they'll take Instapaper with more resources, there's a real chance that competitors like Pocket will feel some added pressure.
Tapestry lets you create tappable iPhone stories
Tapestry describes itself as "a portable collection of beautifully designed, short, tappable stories." It's an online service from Betaworks that lets you create short stories for others to read on their iPhone or iPad. Unlike a traditional ebook, the Tapestry stories are meant to be read in one direction. You tap to go forward and you can't go back. It's difficult to appreciate the simplicity and elegance of the app until you experience it yourself. Tapestry has put together an example story (#itshardbeingtwo) on its website that illustrates the charm of the service. The demo is best viewed in the Tapestry iOS app, but you can still get the effect using a desktop web browser. The iOS app includes a handful of stories from author Robin Sloan and others. New stories will be added to the app on a regular basis. You can also create your own public stories using the web version of the service. Just log in to your account using a browser and hit the create button to begin. The Tapestry service and its accompanying iOS app are available for free. [Via Swiss Miss]
Digg to get a complete redesign, relaunch in August
Well, that was fast. Not two weeks after Digg was bought out by Betaworks (parent company to Bit.ly, among other startups), we're learning the crowd-sourced news aggregator is poised to relaunch as soon as August 1. In a blog post, the 10-person engineering team promises an overhaul of the site, once a litmus test for what was popular on the internet. Most interesting, perhaps, is the revelation that while Digg will not be a rebadged version of News.me, the aggregation app already owned by Betaworks, the two services will eventually be folded into one product. And while the team isn't revealing how, exactly, the new Digg will differ from the old, they did promise it would eventually receive personalization features similar to what News.me already offers. Other than that, Betaworks didn't share any specifics, but luckily, you'll only have to wait two weeks to find out what's in store.
WSJ: Sinking social news site Digg bought by NYC firm Betaworks (updated)
Digg, once one of the shining stars of the social media world, is now a sad shell of of its former self. The once mighty news-sharing service founded by Kevin Rose, has just been snatched up by a small New York City firm called Betaworks for a paltry $500,000, according to the Wall Street Journal. The site still draws roughly seven million visitors a month, but that's a far cry from the more than 30 million is was pulling in during its 2008 heyday. And the pocket change paid for the property pales in comparison to the over $45 million it raised from investors over its lifetime. The sale follows the departure of its most high profile exec, the aforementioned Rose, who is now in charge of Google Ventures. Betaworks plans to revitalize the brand involve folding it into News.me, another social news service, which launched in April of last year. The deal only includes the property itself and the brand -- none of Digg's remaining employees will be making the move to Betaworks. Of course, there were very few left once the Washington Post subsidiary Social Code hired 15 engineers from the floundering service, which accounted for more than half of its workforce. Update: As it turns out, that "$500,000" figure may not tell the whole story. TechCrunch and AllThingsD are both reporting that there's a lot more to consider besides the cash outlay.
